Automatic gum-vending device.



E. MQLAREN.

AUTOMATIC GUM VENDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.10, 1911.

1,031,140. Patented July 2, 1912.

INVENTOR COLUMBIA PLANouHAPH IO-,WASHINIITON. n. C

EDWARD MOLAREN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC GUM-VENDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1912.

Application filed April 10, 1911. Serial No. 619,937.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD MOLAREN, a citizen of the United. States, residing in the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Automatic Gum-Vending Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a vending device, more particularly adapted for dispensing small packages containing candy, gum, and the like, in theaters and auditoriums wherein the device may be secured at any place convenient of access. It is preferred to attach the device to a partition or railing at the front row of seats, and to the back of each chair, for the convenience of persons occupying the seats.

The invention embodies a container provided with a spring controlled cover or lid, said cover being, preferably, hinged 'and adapted to be locked to the container, retaining means positioned upon said lid for holding the article to be delivered, and manually controlled means concealed within the container whereby upon the deposit of a coin into the coin slot, said controlling means may be operated to unlock the spring actuated cover, whereupon said cover immediately flies to an exposed position so that the contents of the container may be easily removed by the purchaser. If through negligence or inadvertence, the coin chamber should not be closed against the removal of a coin, the cover securing means will not release the cover and expose pressing said slide out of engagement with the contents of the container, but, instead, the coin'will be expelled through the coin exit and returned to the operator.

The coin controlling mechanism is embodied, in a preferred form of the invention, in an ordinary look within the container, the bolt of which lock retains a coin within the coin chamber or permits its removal therefrom. The coin controlling mechanism embodies, also, a spring impelled locking slide, a manually operated slide, and a spring controlled latch governing the movement of said manually operated slide, said latch being operated by the insertion of a coin into the coin slot, whereupon the manually operated slide is adapted to be so operated that the coin introduced into the coin chamber is forced between the lock bolt and the cover locking slide, thus the cover, thereby permitting the cover to be automatically raised by the action of the spring.

Other features of novelty, and the advantages thereof, will a pear from the hereinafter detailed description of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction shown therein is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device, with the front plate removed, illustrating the position of the parts when the device is filled, and showing, also, a coin partially inserted within the coin chamber. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the position of the latch or trigger when the coin is fully inserted within the coin chamber. Fig. 4: is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the device, a portion of the front plate being broken away, illustrating the position of the coin and the pivoted cover or lid after the looking slide has released its engagement with said cover, and Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view illustrating the coin exit and the lock bolt.

The dispensing device may be composed of any suitable material, such as sheet metal and it embodies a casing or boxing 10, provided with a cover or lid 11 which is hinged at 12 to the casing or boxing. The lid is cut away at 13, to form a coin slot, and said cover is provided with a keeper 14 near the cut away portion 13. When the lid is not locked in a closed position on the casing, it is normally held open, as illustrated in Fig. 5, by a spring 15. On the under side of lid 11, is provided suitable package retaining means, preferably in the form of a clip 16, for holding the article to be dispensed, such for example, as a package of chewing gum or a package containing candy.

The package to be dispensed occupies the chamber 17 when the device is locked in the closed position. Within the chamber 17 is provided an inner wall 18, parallel to the front or outer wall 19 of the box, and between these walls 18 and 19 is positioned the coin controlling mechanism. The wall 18 is bent over at its upper end, to form a housing for the several parts, and this bent over portion is cut away or slotted, as at 20, to register with the slotted part 13 of the lid thus producing the coin inlet slot. Said wall is, also, slotted to receive the keeper 14.

Between the walls 18 and 19, and preferably near one end of the box, is a locking slide 21, provided with a tongue 22 for engagement with the keeper 14. This slide is slotted at 23, and in these slots are positioned guide pins 24, whereby the slide 21 is guided into, and out of, locking engagement with the cover. A leaf spring 25 is positioned to contact with one edge of slide 21 to normally force its tongue 22 into looking engagement with the keeper 14. The opposite edge of slide 21 is preferably curved, as shown at 26, for engagement with a coin.

A manually operated slide 27, is positioned between plates 18 and 19 and this slide is adapted to force the coin against the locking slide 21 and, also, to close the coin slot after the lid has been released from locking engagement with slide 21. Slide 27 is preferably provided, also, with a curved edge 28 and with a finger piece 29, which finger piece works in a slot 30 in the outer wall of the box, to enable the operator to press upon the slide for moving said slide endwise.

Slide 27 is adapted to ride upon a latch or trigger 31. This latch 31 is pivoted near one end thereof, as at 32, and it is provided with a shoulder 33, which is adapted to engage with the lower curved edge 28 of the slide 27, and thereby prevent the sidewise movement of said slide. This latch is held constantly in engagement with said slide 27 i by a spring 34.

In the bottom of the box is a lock 35, the bolt '36, of which is adapted to close, or to partially close, the exit slot 37 in the bottom of said box, and thus prevent the coin indicated at 38 from dropping out of the coin chamber; This bolt 36 serves, also, to guide the coin into engagement with the upper curved edge 26, to force slide 21 out of look ing engagement with the cover. "When this bolt 36 is withdrawn into the lock 35, the coin is free to pass out of the coin chamber, and thus be removed from the device.

The operation is as follows :Assuming the container to be open, the coin compartment to be locked against the withdrawal of a coin, and the manually operated slide adjusted into locking engagement with shoulde'r 330 f latch 31, the article to be vended, for instance a package of gum, is inserted into engagement with clip 16 :onthe cover 11, whereupon said cover is closed upon the box until the tongue 22, of slide 21, snaps into engagement with keeper 14. The package is now housed withinthe locked con- 7 tainer, and it cannot be removed therefrom until a coin of the proper denomination or size is inserted within the com chamber.

To "open the container or box, a coin of the proper dimension is inserted in slot 13 of the cover, which slot 13 registers with slot 20 of the box, until the coin engages latch 31 to force it downward out of engagement with slide 27 Slide 27 having been released from engagement with said latch, may now be moved by hand in the direction of the coin, and the edge 28 of said slide will force the coin against the lock bolt 36, from whence the coin will be deflected upwardly against the upper part of curved member 26 of slide 21. Continued pressure being applied to handle 29 of slide 27, causes slide 27 to press the coin against slide 21 with sufficient force to push the tongue 22 out of engagement with keeper 14. The cover 11 being held under tension of spring 15, will automatically raise and expose the contents of the container to View, whereupon the operator may remove the package from theclip 16. The coin is now held between slide 21, latch 31 and lock bolt 36, pressing slide 21 rearwardly and retaining tongue 22 out of engagement with its slot, so that the cover cannot be fastened upon the box after a coin is deposited in the coin chamber.

While the coin is thus held between slide 21 latch 31 and bolt 36, the slide 27 may be freely moved backward and forward, for the reason that the latch is depressed so that its shoulder 33 is held out of engagement with edge 28 of said slide 27. 7

By inserting a key in the lock 35 and withdrawing bolt 36, the coin 38 is permitted to drop out of its chamber through exit slot 37 in the bottom'of the container. The key may now be turned to throwbolt 36 across the coin exit slot 37, whereupon the container may be recharged. The instant the coin is removed from the box, the latch 31 engages slide 27. The container cannot be opened except a coin of the proper dimensions is inserted. Merely depressing the latch 31 will release the slide 27 from engagement with said latch, but this slide .cannot come into engagement with slide 21. The walls 26 and 28 of slides 21, 27, respectively, are so constructed or curved that they will properly operate upon only a coin of a predetermined size.

If, for any reason, the bolt 36 should be withdrawn from across the coin exit 37 H while no coin is in the coin chamber, and the container is charged with a package to be dispensed, the coin controlling mechanism will not operate to release the cover and open the box when a proper coin is placed in the coin slot 13. In such event, the coin will release slide 27 so it can be moved, but the curved edge 28 of this slide will force the coin downwardly toward the coin exit 37 and, as the bolt 36 is withdrawn the coin will be forced out of said exit, in-

stead of being deflected by said bolt into engagement with slide 22. It follows that the machine will not permit an unscrupulous person to operate the mechanism, by a proper coin, obtain the contents of the container and, also, remove the coin therefrom, except by using a key to operate bolt 36.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is v 1. In a device of the class described, a container, a member operable to normally preclude the delivery of an article from said container, a manually operable member, and a latch for said manually operable member, said latch cooperating with the first member in retaining a coin between said member and the latch, whereby the coin, subsequent to its operation upon the first member, will be held against removal from the container.

2. In a device of the class described, a container provided with a coin inlet slot, and with a coin exit slot, a member operable normally to preclude the delivery of an article from said container, a manually operable member positioned relative to the first member to receive a coin between them, a bolt positioned to close the coin exit slot, and a latch for the manually operable member, said latch cooperating with the bolt and the first named member in retaining a coin between the parts and against removal through the coin exit slot while the latter is closed by said bolt.

3. In a device of the class described, a container provided with a coin inlet slot and with a coin exit slot, said slots being out of alinement with each other, a member operable normally to preclude the delivery of an article from said container, a manually operable member positioned relative to the first member to receive a coin between them, a bolt to close the coin exit slot, a

- latch to preclude movement of the manually slide, said latch operable member, with the bolt and the first named member in retaining a coin between the parts and against removal through either the coin inlet slot or the coin exit slot when the latter is closed by said bolt.

4:. In a device of the class described, a coin controlled mechanism having a coin chamber, a coin inlet slot and a coin exit slot communicating with said coin chamber, a spring pressed locking slide, a manually operated slide, a spring operated latch cooperating with the manually operated being coin released, and a locking bolt adapted to open or close the coin exit slot, said locking bolt being adapted, also, to direct the movement of a coin into a position for operating the spring pressed locking slide.

5. In a device of the class described, a container provided with a spring actuated cover, a keeper on said cover, a spring consaid latch cooperating.

trolled locking slide having a tongue adapted to engage said keeper, a manually operated slide, a spring actuated latch controlling the movement of said manually operated slide, said latch being releasable by a coin, and a locking bolt within said container and adapted to deflect a coin against said locking slide for unlocking the cover, whereby when a coin is introduced into the coin chamber the latch will be operated by the coin to release the manually operated slide, said latch cooperating with the cover locking member to retain the introduced coin between said parts so as to prevent the removal of the coin through the coin inlet slot.

6. In a coin controlled mechanism, a container, a member for precluding the delivery of articles from the container, a manually operated member, said first named member and the manually operated member being in cooperative relation to an interposed coin, and coin released means for precluding said manually operated member from movement until the deposit of a coin, whereby upon the manually operated member being released, pressure may be applied to said member for shifting the coin into a position for operating the first member to permit delivery of the article from the container, said coin released means cooperating with the. first named member for retaining a coin against removal from said container.

7. In a coin controlled mechanism, a container, two cooperating members positioned with relation to each other for the reception of a coin between them, one of said members normally precluding the delivery of the article from the container and the other of said members being adapted for operation by hand, and means cooperating with said hand actuated member, said coin actuated locking means cooperating with one of said cooperating members for retaining a coin within the container.

8. In a coin controlled mechanism, a container provided with a coin inlet and a coin exit, two cooperating members positioned with reference to each other for the reception of a coin between them, one of said members normally precluding the delivery of an article from the container and the other member being adapted for hand operation, a coin actuated locking device cooperating with the hand operated member, and means separate from said members for precluding the passage of a coin through said coin exit, said coin actuated locking device cooperating also with one of the two cooperating members for retaining a coin within the container until said coin is withdrawn through the coin exit slot.

9. In acoin controlled mechanism, a con-' tainer provided with a coin chamber and coin actuated locking.

with a coin inlet and a coin exit separate from an article containing chamber, two cooperating members, one of which is manually operated, for precluding the delivery of articles from said chamber, a coin actuated locking member for restraining one of said members from movement, and separate looking means for the coin chamber whereby access to the deposited coin is precluded upon the delivery of an article from the container, said coin actuated locking member cooperating with one of the two cooperating members for retaining a coin against removal from the container through the coin inlet slot.

10. In a coin controlled mechanism, a container provided with a coin chamber, a coin inlet and a coin exit, a coin actuated locking slide, a manually operated slide, a coin actuated latch normally locking the manually operated slide from movement and adapted to release said slide when a coin is introduced into the coin chamber, and locking means controlling said coin exit, said looking means cooperating with the coin actuated latch and the manually operated member for directing the movement of the introduced coin against the coin actuated locking slide to move said slide to an unlocked position.

11. In a coin controlled mechanism, a container provided with a coin chamber, a coin inlet and a coin exit, two cooperating members, one of which is manually operated for precluding the delivery of articles from said chamber, each of said cooperating members having their adjacent edges curved to operengage said cover to lock said cover, a manually operated slide positioned opposite to said locking slide, and a latch controlling the movement of said manually operated slide, said latch being actuated by the intro duction of a coin between the two slides, said manually operated slide riding upon said latch, whereby when a coin is introduced between said slides, the coin will release the latch from looking engagement with the manually operated slide, and said coin and the manually operated slide will coact to shift the locking slide out of locking engagement with said cover.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to th1s spec1ficat1on 1n the presence of two subscribing witnesses,

EDWARD MoLAREN.

WVitnesses:

HARRY J. MUNRO, J. F. MOTHERSHEAD.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

